Block-signal system



c. OLSEN. BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM. APPHCATION FILED NOV. 27, 1916.

1,355,251. Patented 0G17.12,1920. 15 57.

Black-- 65010 or TAWCK mm POLE l/IVE \i'llPPl UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

CLARENCE M. OLSEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BLOCK-SIGNAL SYSTEM.

T 0 all 10 710mzt may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE M. OLsEN, acitizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of St. Louis,State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement inBlock-Signal Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrically controlled signal systems forrailways, particularly to block signal systems having the signal locatedin the cab of the locomotive.

The object of the invention is to provide means for operating a signalin the cab of the locomotive whenever another train is in either theblock ahead or the block behind that which the locomotive is in. Furtherobjects are to provide for operating the cab signal in case theapparatus fails to function properly, and for showing that it is inorder.

The invention consists in bonding together or connecting the ends of therails of each section or block of track so that the rails form acontinuous conductor of electricity, and insulating each block of trackfrom the adjacent blocks, providing a continuous third rail and a supplywire along the track for its entire length, and in locating an automaticcircuit controller at each block, the circuit controller being connectedto the supply wire and. having connections to its block and to eachadjacent block. The circuit controller is controlled by control cir-fcuits including contact posts located-one at each end of its block.Normally, the circuit until the train leaves its block.

Further details and objects of the invention appear hereinafter,reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustratlng the systemand apparatus diagrammatically. V

v Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 12, 1920 Applicationfiled November 27, 1916. Serial no. 133,598.

Referring particularly to F ig. '1, the track IlllS 11 are laid 1nsections of convenient length, the rails of each section being bondedtogether or otherwise connected so that they form a continuous conductorof electricity, and the rails at the ends of the sections beinginsulated, so that each section of rails constitutes an insulated block.

For convenience, three-blocks are shown in Fig. 1, marked A, B, and C,respectively,

the ends only of blocks A and C being shown.' A continuous third rail 12is laid 4 similar contact makers 15, 16. The contact makers are slidablymounted on horizontal guides 17, and are geared together by means ofrack bars 18 and an intermediate pinion 19 to move simultaneously inopposite directions' The pinion 19 is caused to rotate through a littlemore than a half circle, first in one direction and then in the otherdirection, by means of an armature 20 to which it is connected by a link21. The

. armature is operated by an electro-magnet 22. One terminal 23 of theelectro-magnet is connected to the pole line 13 and the other terminal24 is connected by wires 25, 26 to two contact posts 27, 28, locatedbetween the track rails, one at each end of the block B adjacent to theblocks A and'O, respectively. The locomotive has a wheel or a shoe 12making contact continuously with the third rail, and a shoe or contactmaker 27 which is adapted to make contact with the contact posts 27,28as the train enters or leaves the blockB. When the circuit through theelectro-magnet is completed by means of-the locomotive passing a contactpost, the armature is momentarily attracted toward the 'magnet, therebyrotating the gear 19 and causing the contact makers 15, 16 to slide; Themomentum of the moving contact makers carries the. gear past the deadcenter of the link connection to the armature, and the spring 29 returnsthearmature to its normal position and completes the stroke ofthecontact makers.

- The contact maker 15 has a contact'strip 30 on one end which slidesbetween the contact post 31 on one side and thetwo contact posts 32, 33on theother side iJO'IDZtkE an electrical connection between them. 7 Thecontact posts 32, 33 are respectively'com nected by wires 34, 35 withthe ends of'the track sectionsAand G adjacentito the section B. WVhenthere is no train in the block B and the instrument 14 is in its normalposition the contact maker 15 is out ofcontact position. v r

.The contact maker 16 likewise has a contact strip 30 on its end whichslides between the contact post 36 on one side and the contact post- 37on the'other side to complete an electrical connection between them inthe normal position of the instrument. The

posts 31 and 36 are connected by a wire 38 with the pole line 13'; andthe post 3'? is connected by a wire 39with the track railof the sectionB... Contact springs 40 are provided for each contact post.

TNhen the instrument 14 is operated bya train entering the block B, thecontact maker contact makers 15 and 16 to theirnormal positions, therebybreaking the connect ons between the pole line and the track sectlons Aand C, and making the connection between the pole line andthe tracksection B.

j The blocks A and C are likewise provided Qwith an instrument andcircuitconnections like those for the block B, only the wlres 41 leadingto the ends of the-track rails of the section B and the contact aosts 42at the ends of the sections A and and'wires "43 connecting them withtheir respective inparent that the system normally is on an 'strumentsbeing shown in Fig. 1.

The locomotive is provided with a-suitable 7 signal devlce n the cab toindicate whenever a current of electricity passes through it. Thissignal is connected in a circuit between the locomotive axles or wheels51 and the wheel or shoe 12 whlch runs on the ,third rail so thatwhenever a connection is established between the rail section and the Tpole line, a current passes from the pole line I supply through thetrack and the wheels of the locomotive, operates the cab signal, and

. returns through the third rail to the source f of supply. The systemoftrack circuits and operating devices shown and described are capable ofuse withva'rious locomotive circuit arrangements.

The operation' of the system is as follows:

'Assuming that a train is in the block A,

U and a second train is in block O approaching the block B, thecircuitcontroller corresponding to block A will bethrown to connect thetrack rails of section B with the pole line, and the circuit controllerof the block C will likewise be thrown toconnect the track rails of thesection B with the pole line. When the train running in block .G-makes'contact with contactjpost 42,first the circuit controller of block C.will be thrown to break'the connection through the wire 41 between thepole line and the track section B, and next, whencontact is made 1 .withcontact post 28" in block B, the circuit "controller of block B will bethrown to break the connection through the wire 39'with the pole linewhen the engineer gets a cab signal after entering the block B he knowsthat the block A is not clear. Also, the entrance of the train fromblock G into block B causes the connection through the wires 34 and 35with the track sections A andC to be com pleted, thus causing the cabsignal on the 1 train in block A to operate.

If by any chance either the circuit conlikewise indicatedanger. In orderfor the cab slgnal to remain at safety ,when'the train enters block B,the circuit controllers for blocks A and C must both be in normalrposition and'the circuit controller in block B in moved position; inother words, all

three of the circuit controllers must be functlomng properly in orderfor the cabsignal to indicate safety, On passing from one block toanother, during the interval required for the locomotive to pass thespace between the contact posts, the cab signal will momentarilyindicate danger if the system is working properly, and if no momentarysignal is obtained upon entering a block the engineer knows that thesystem is out of order.; 7 o

From the foregoing description it is apopen circuit, and hence can becheaply operated by smallbatteries arranged along the right of way.Moreover, a signal is given at the ends of each block to indicate thatthe system is operating properly.

principle of operation of the system, and the nventlon isnotrestrictedtothe forms of devices shown in the drawings. I claim thefollowing as my invention:

1. A block signal system comprising a continuous third rail, a source ofelectric ,power connected thereto, insulated sections of track,contact'posts at the ends of the track sections, a circuit controllerfor each track section, connections between-each circuit controller andthe posts at the ends of the corresponding track section, andconnections between each circuit controller and V the rails of thesections of track adjoining the track section corresponding to saidcontroller.

2. A block signal system comprising a continuous third rail, a source ofelectric power connected thereto, insulated sections of track, contactposts at the ends of the track sections, a circuit controller for eachtrack section, connections between each circuit controller and the postsat the ends of the corresponding track section, a connection betweeneach circuit controller and a rail of the corresponding track section,and connections between each circuit controller and the rails of thesections of track adjoining the track section corresponding to saidcontroller, said circuit controllers being arranged to make connectionwith the corresponding track sections and break connection with thetrack section adjoining on each side, and Vice versa.

3. A block signal system comprising a continuous third rail, a source ofelectric power connected thereto, insulated sections of track, contactposts at the ends of the track sections, a circuit controller for eachtrack section, connections between each circuit controller and the postsat the ends of the corresponding track section, and connections betweeneach circuit controller and the rails of the sections of track'adjoiningthe track section corresponding to said controller, the bridging of thegap between either contact post and the third rail operating saidcircuit controller alternately to make and to break said; connectionsbetween said circuit controller and track rails.

4. A block signal system comprising a continuous third rail, a source ofelectric power connected thereto, insulated sections of track, contactposts at the ends of the track sections, the contact posts at theadjoining ends of the sections being spaced a short distance apart, acircuit controller for each track section, connections between eachcircuit controller and the posts at the ends of the corresponding tracksection, and connections between each circuit controller and a rail ofthe tracksection corresponding to said controller, said circuitcontrollers being arranged to make and break alternately said tr'ackconnections, whereby a train entering a track section first gets adanger signal and then a clear signal if the section is clear.

5. A block signal system operating on open circuit and having means forindicating failure of the source of electric energy at the entrance ofeach block, said means comprising a third rail, a source of electricpower connected thereto, a track section insulated from adjoiningsections, a

circuit controller for making and breaking the circuit, a contact postspaced a short distance away from the end of the section, a connectionbetween said contact post and said circuit controller, and a connectionbetween said circuit controller and a rail, whereby, if the electriccurrent is flowing properly, the train will get a danger signal until itpasses the contact post.

6. A block signal system operating on open circuit and having means forindicating failure of the control apparatus to operate properly when atrain enters or leaves a block, said means comprising a continuous thirdrail, a source of electric power connected thereto, insulated sectionsof track, contact posts at the ends of the track sections, a circuitcontroller for each track section, connections between each circuitcontroller and the rails of the track sections adjoining the sectioncorresponding to said circuit controller, connections between eachcircuit controller and the contact posts of the corresponding tracksection and connections between each circuit controller and a rail ofthe corresponding track section,

, whereby, if one of said controllers fails to CLARENCE M. OLSEN.

properly, the train gets a danger

